Proposed $826.2 million budget for 2015 up for adoption

VICTOR CALZADA-EL PASO TIMES The fenced-in area of Memorial Park is used for private events.

The City Council on Monday will take the first of two steps toward adopting its proposed tax rate and begin to finalize the proposed $826.2 million budget for fiscal year 2015.

The council Thursday wrapped up a week's worth of daylong workshops with all of its departments, reviewing proposed revenues, expenditures, personnel and program changes for the coming year.

"This was great dialogue this whole week," Mayor Oscar Leeser said. "I know everybody needs to study up again before coming back."

On Monday, the city will introduce an ordinance levying the fiscal year 2015 tax rate that is now proposed at 69.9 cents per $100 property valuation. That's about 2 cents higher than the current rate, which means a tax increase of about $34 on the average-valued home.

REPORTER

Cindy Ramirez

That proposed rate could change as the city manager and budget officers finalize the budget and tax rate needed to support it based on input from the council the past week.

Once a rate is introduced, a higher rate cannot be adopted.

Starting Wednesday, the council will have budget wrap-up sessions, deciding what to keep or do away with in the budget.

Among some topics likely to emerge are whether to increase fees for trash collection, city league registration and parking meters, as well as whether to keep the police transport services contract.

The Environmental Services Department is proposing a $1 a month increase for residential trash collection, which was questioned by some city representatives.

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The Parks and Recreation Department had proposed increasing by about 20 percent fees to reserve and use city facilities such as party rooms and park shelters, as well as league tournament fees.

That was also met with resistance by some council members, although some parents and coaches of sports teams who play in the city's tournaments said they didn't oppose that increase if it meant better turf and lighting in public parks.

Another proposal calls for increasing parking meter rates by 25 cents to $1 an hour, which will help make up for a loss in revenue after the city two years ago began offering free parking in the Downtown shopping district on Saturdays. Parking meter revenues are allocated to pay off the Plaza Theatre renovation debt.

Also up for discussion is whether to use a prisoner transport service only during busy summer months rather than year-round. The $1.3 million contract with G4S was on the cutting board as a cost-saving measure for the Police Department, but city officials are now considering using the service from April to September and are allocating about $550,000 for peak-year service.

When the proposed change was presented Thursday, police Chief Greg Allen and some representatives urged the rest of the council and City Manager Tomas "Tommy" Gonzalez to consider reinstating the program year-round.

Allen said that the private transport services has put officers back on the streets faster, and said arrests have increased 14.4 percent since the program was implemented.

Gonzalez said using the program year-round could increase the proposed tax rate by about one-third of a cent.

Public hearings on the proposed tax rate and the budget are set for Tuesday and Aug. 12 and 19. The tax rate and budget are expected to be adopted Aug. 19. The 2015 fiscal year begins Sept. 1.

Cindy Ramirez may be reached at 546-6151.

Make Plans

What: Special meeting of the El Paso City Council to

introduce an ordinance levying the proposed tax rate and wrap-up the fiscal year 2015 budget proposal.